1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0–0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Nxd4
12.Bxd4 b5 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.exd5 a5 16.a3 Kg8 17.Rhe1 b4 18.axb4
axb4 19.Qxb4 Rc5
Both player
rs spent little time on
their opening moves and were clearly still in their preparation. 20.Rd3!? Judit
mentioned that she had analysed this idea many years ago. The rook does a good
defensive job here. [20.g4 has been played before, but I'm sure Gawain had an
idea up his sleeve.] 20...Qa8! Gawain sacrifices another pawn, but his queen
becomes very active and Polgar must be accurate in order to maintain any hope
of an advantage. White's king safety (or lack of it) is a dominant theme
throughout this game, giving Black strong practical compensation for the pawn.
21.Rxe7 Qa1+ 22.Kd2 Qf1 [22...Bf5 23.Rc3 Qg1 gives White the extra option of
24.g4 and the position remains tense, but White has good chances of
consolidating] 23.Qf4! [the obvious 23.Rxd7?? would have been a huge mistake:
23...Re8 and Black's major pieces combine to trap White's king] 23...Bf5 24.Rc3
Ra5 25.Rce3 Qxg2+ 26.Re2 Qg1 27.Qe3 Qa1 28.Re8 Ra8 29.Rxf8+ Rxf8 Both players
seemed relatively happy here: Polgar is still a pawn up, but Jones has constant
counterplay against White's exposed king. 30.Qc3 Qg1 31.Qe3 Qa1 32.Qc3 Qg1
33.Ba4 Judit shows her fighting spirit by refusing to repeat moves. 33...Qg5+
34.Qe3 Qf6 35.c3 Rb8 36.b3 Qh4 37.Qe7 Qf4+ 38.Qe3 Qh4 39.Kc1 Qh3 40.Qf2 [40.Kb2
Qf1 41.Re1 Qg2+ 42.Ka3 was mentioned as a possibility, but the situation still
remains unclear.] 40...Bd3 41.Rd2
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